Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall, is sponsored by Country Style in Wallaceburg:
When the news broke on Tuesday about the Ontario government suspending renewable energy projects across the province, many residents questioned the future of three local wind project planned in the area.
However, Stuart McFadden, acting director of Economic Development Services for Chatham-Kent, told the Chatham Voice that the Otter Creek Wind Farm project north of Wallaceburg, the North Kent One project between Wallaceburg and Chatham and the Romney project near Tilbury will all be moving forward, as they have already signed contracts with the province.
The North Kent Two project, which is still in the planning stages, will be impacted by the new policy.
The Otter Creek project is set to include 19 new wind turbines north of Wallaceburg, between Stewart Line and McCreary Line to the south, Whitebread Line and Kent Line west of Mandaumin Road to the north, Mandaumin Road to the east, and Payne Road to the west. The project is expected to be operational by 2019.
The North Kent One project is set to include 36 turbines between Wallaceburg and Chatham. This particular project is the subject of an Environmental Review Tribunal, taking place next month.
The project near Tilbury has been approved for a 60-megawatt capacity.
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton told The Chatham Daily News the new policy is “too little, too late.”
He said the damage has already been done and this “band aid solution” is not going to be enough to curb hydro rates in the province.
“Our decision to suspend these procurements is not one we take lightly,” stated Glenn Thibeault, Minister of Energy.
“This decision will both maintain system reliability and save up to $3.8 billion in electricity system costs relative to the 2013 LTEP forecast. The typical residential electricity consumer would save an average of approximately $2.45 per month on their electricity bill, relative to previous forecasts.”
Work is slated to begin this fall on a new Long-Term Energy Plan for the province, which is scheduled to be released in 2017.
We will be following this story closely… watch for more on this in the coming months.
If you have a suggestion, story idea, column idea, or if you want to say hello… drop me an e-mail at aaron@sydenhamcurrent.ca.
Photo of the day
Weather forecast for Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Today – Cloudy. A few showers beginning this morning. Risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Amount 5 to 10 mm. High 18.
Tonight – Showers. Risk of a thunderstorm this evening. Amount 5 to 10 mm. Wind becoming northeast 20 km/h this evening. Low 15.
World news
204 bodies recovered from migrant boat that capsized off Egypt last week, state media reports official as saying. https://t.co/kN89EYxffa
— CNN (@CNN) 28 September 2016
Baseballs signed by José Fernández wash ashore near crash site
Calls to evacuate sick and wounded as Aleppo assault intensifies
Former president of Israel Shimon Peres dies at 93
